Last Chance
by Ignea servus Dominus
Summary: The flames of Hell or the harps of Heaven? As he is dying, Erik makes one final, wretched grasp at salvation.


**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own The Phantom of the Opera; all elements belong to their respective owners**_

Erik's P.O.V (Point of View)

"God forgive me! Oh God forgive me!" I moaned, near delirium. Every inch of my dying body screamed out with affliction. I barely felt the rosary knotted between my fingers as I clutched it to my perishing heart.

My fevered mind barely even realized the words that ground from my throat. All I knew was pain and fear. I feared death, I feared Hell, I feared the judgment that I knew was coming.

Deep down I have always that this day would come, the day I would answer for all the horror I called down upon humanity. I laughed at the time. "God…" I laughed! Like a fool! "Answer to God? There is no such being!" Oh but I know there is...as sure as the dawning each morning and the rainbow streaking the sky! And I fear Him. And in fear I cry out to Him now begging His mercy! A mercy I know He bestows upon even the greatest of wretches, just as He gave it to the thief at Calvary. Oh, I pray He will bestow it now!

Suddenly a reckless howl of laughter burst from the darkness, a chilling, bloodcurdling laugh that sent my fading heart thundering with terror. I forced my eyes open and gazed out into the void of blackness. "Wh-Who...?" I wheezed, attempting to force a semblance of strength into my voice.

I felt a presence draw closer...a presence of pure and vicious evil. "I'm _wounded _Erik! Do you not recognize your good old friend's voice? Perhaps since you turned traitor you've forgotten who you are...and who you chose to serve?" Another laugh and then I knew the intruder's identity.

Without even realizing it I had weakly pushed myself up and skittered backward, seeking refuge in the shadows which had always offered me aegis, trying desperately to flee from the voice and all its malevolence.

The voice rang out again this time coming from all directions at once.

"You know that I command the darkness too, do you not Erik? There's no use being bashful, you know I can find you wherever you flee. You know what I want Erik."

"No…" I protested pitifully.

"You know that I've come to collect what you owe me and here I come all this way and find you trying to cheat your debt. Do you really think that God would forgive you, the murderer, the thief, the liar, the idolater, the blasphemer? Laughable! It's time to pay the piper, Erik!"

"You have no claim, Lucifer!" I rasped, coughing as I did so. "He forgives! He always forgives!"

"Such a bold proclamation of faith, Erik, particularly from you; if your God was so good and benevolent than why did He allow you to live as you have? Your face, Erik, remember your face? Why would a loving God do such a thing to his creation?"

My resolve faltered. "I-I...do not...know..." I drew out in heavy, panting gasps.

"You see Erik? If your God would allow you to live as you have then what chance do you think there is that He will forgive you? Do you think He would suddenly decide to give you mercy now, after all the time you've been _my_ servant?"

I moaned, seeds of doubt sprouting in my mind. "No..." I whispered to myself, shaking my head as though this action would clear away the temptation to believe him. No I had to stay strong. ….I had to stay strong lest I face damnation...

"No...no...no...Torment me no longer!" I whimpered in desperation. He merely laughed again.

"Really, Erik, can you not come up with a more fluent retort than that? You are beginning to doubt aren't you Erik? Aren't you? Yes, you are... I can hear it in your voice! At last you see reason!"

His arrogance stoked the fires of my resolve, if only slightly. "I don't know why..." I wheezed. "...I don't know why He gave me this face! But there must have been some kind of reason...some infinite wisdom..."*

"Oh, such blind faith, I would have expected something more intelligent from you Erik! Oh, you fool!" He jeered.

Suddenly an invisible wall pinned me to the earth and began to slowly crush me.

"Slave..." I heard his voice snarl within my mind. "I assure you, Erik, You...Belong...To..._**M**__**e**_!"

Just then I felt a fear such as I have never known before in my life, it made my blood freeze as sweat poured down my face. Images flashed in my mind, images of unspeakable evil and malevolence...a slow creeping poison seemed to be seeping into my very soul...seducing me...tempting me to become one with it...to enter into its toxic veil of evil. I thrashed like wounded prey beneath the crushing weight of evil, panicking and desperate, trying to resist the fires of Hell licking at my soul.

"Please, God, anyone. Please!" I screamed, half sobbing as my fingers ripped uselessly at the formless demon.

I twisted and writhed as though possessed, gnashing my teeth, slamming my body against the stone ground….anything….in order for me to be able to focus on something other than succumbing.

Without warning a thunderous voice roared from out of the darkness. "Be gone!" And with that I felt the Devil flee, evaporating as quickly as he had materialized.

I sank back to the ground panting, sweat cooling on my brow as relief washed over me. I was so very exhausted, every ounce of life seemed been drained from me….yet…I could not rest….the pain was too great.

I groaned involuntarily, curling in on myself.

"Erik…" The mighty voice came again, only it no longer held the awesome rage from before, instead it sounded loving….paternal…compassionate.

"Father…" I heard myself whisper pleadingly.

"Erik, come to Me…." He beckoned gently. "….come to Me."

And with that my spirit flew free and into my Creator's arms.

**Author's Note**_: I tried to make sure it wasn't sappy or disgustingly idealistic. Did I succeed?_

_* The "reason" for Erik's disfigurement: "_For there is a time and a way (reason) for everything, although man's trouble lies heavy on him." Ecclesiates 8:6

The Creator is always greater than the creation. What right does the creation have to question its' Creator?


End file.
